Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler

[102] republican form of government established by our patriot fathers the people of this country, acting under and in accordance with the laws, cannot govern themselves by their votes cast according to their consciences, then the Revolution was a failure. If the working-men can be deprived of their freedom and rights by threats of starvation of themselves and their wives and children, when they act according to the laws and their own judgments, then they had better be slaves indeed, having kind masters, instead of being free men who are only at liberty to do what their task-masters impose upon them, or starve. And this question must be settled here and now.

In obedience to the laws, at the time specified at which it should be done, the working-men of Lowell assembled at their several election places and cast their ballots for ten men whom they wanted to represent their interests pledged to the reduction of the oppressive hours of labor, the length of which is destroying their own health and the health of their wives and children. Their votes were in a majority for nine of their representatives.

That majority is known to all and acknowledged by all. By a stupid blunder, however, a clerk returned eight thousand votes cast where there were but eight hundred voters. The aldermen of the city, taking advantage of that blunder, refused to permit him to amend his return according to the fact, which was never done before by any honest body, and exercised their power to declare the election void; they thus deprive the working-men of Lowell of any representation in the coming legislature, unless they can elect some others on Monday to represent them. On that election depends the whole politics of the State; and therefore the whole power and wealth of corporate influence in the State has been brought to bear upon those weak men, the aldermen, to do us this great wrong.

What have we done? So great wrong and outrage would justify revolution; it would justify us in any proceeding to recover our liberties; for we have done no wrong. We said nothing; we only determined in our own minds that we would go to the polls and vote as we had done before, unless we saw a good reason, or heard arguments sufficient, to change our opinions. The Whig party, which owns the ward clerk and controls these aldermen, has called no meeting to address to us any argument or reason why we should change our minds. But what has it done? One of the corporations where large